Attorney General Eric Holder says that the United States still intends to capture al-Qaida terrorist leader Osama bin Laden – alive, if possible. Holder testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, defending President Barack Obama’s detainee policies.

Attorney General Holder sought to clarify comments he made last month that Osama bin Laden would not face trial in a U.S. federal court. Holder said the reason he said that was because intelligence reports indicate that bin Laden’s security guards are under instructions not to let him be taken alive, if he is surrounded by U.S. forces.

Holder made clear that bin Laden is still the United State’s number one target to capture or, if necessary, kill.

“Our hope would be to capture him and to interrogate him, to get useful intelligence from him about the structure of al-Qaida, about al-Qaida’s plans,” said Eric Holder.

Ranking Republican Committee member Jeff Sessions of Alabama said there needs to be a clear policy on how to deal with bin Laden, if he is captured.

Sessions said he is troubled by the Obama administration’s deliberations on whether to try the alleged mastermind of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks – Khalid Sheik Mohammed – in a federal court in New York City.

“I just think that the simpler and more logical decision would be to reconsider and try this case where it should be – I think in military commissions,” said Jeff Sessions.